CN108340904B

CN108340904B - System and method for controlling travel of hybrid vehicle

Info

Publication number: CN108340904B
Application number: CN201710721033.9A
Authority: CN
Inventors: 金道熙
Original assignee: Hyundai Motor Co; Kia Motors Corp
Current assignee: Hyundai Motor Co; Kia Corp
Priority date: 2017-01-23
Filing date: 2017-08-14
Publication date: 2022-01-11
Anticipated expiration: 2037-08-14
Also published as: US20180208174A1; CN108340904A; KR20180086782A; US10703353B2

Abstract

The invention provides a system and a method for controlling travel of a hybrid vehicle. The method comprises the following steps: it is determined whether acceleration of the hybrid vehicle is predicted, and when acceleration of the hybrid vehicle is predicted, a conversion reference value for converting a travel mode of the hybrid vehicle from an Electric Vehicle (EV) mode to a Hybrid Electric Vehicle (HEV) mode is increased.

Description

System and method for controlling travel of hybrid vehicle

Cross-referencing of related applications

This application claims priority and benefit of korean patent application No. 10-2017-0010646, filed in the korean intellectual property office at 23.1.2017, the entire contents of which are incorporated herein by reference

Technical Field

The present invention relates to a control method and system for a vehicle, and more particularly, to a system and method for controlling driving of a hybrid vehicle to reduce unnecessary energy consumption.

Background

An environment-friendly vehicle includes a fuel cell vehicle, an electric vehicle, a plug-in electric vehicle, and a hybrid vehicle, and generally includes an electric motor that generates driving force. A hybrid vehicle, which is an example of an environmentally-friendly vehicle, drives the vehicle using electric power of both an internal combustion engine and a battery. In other words, the hybrid vehicle effectively combines and uses the power of the internal combustion engine and the electric power of the electric motor. The hybrid vehicle includes an engine, a motor, an engine clutch for adjusting power between the engine and the motor, a transmission, a differential gear device, a battery, a starter-generator that starts the engine or generates power by an output of the engine, and wheels.

Further, the hybrid vehicle includes: a Hybrid Control Unit (HCU) configured to operate a hybrid vehicle; an Engine Control Unit (ECU) configured to operate an engine; a Motor Control Unit (MCU) configured to operate a motor; a Transmission Control Unit (TCU) configured to operate the transmission, and a Battery Control Unit (BCU) configured to operate and manage the battery. The battery control unit may be referred to as a Battery Management System (BMS). The starter-generator may be referred to as an Integrated Starter and Generator (ISG) or a Hybrid Starter and Generator (HSG).

Further, the hybrid vehicle may be driven in various running modes, such as: an Electric Vehicle (EV) mode that is an electric vehicle mode using electric power of a motor; a Hybrid Electric Vehicle (HEV) mode using a rotational force of an engine as a main power and a rotational force of a motor as an auxiliary power; and a Regenerative Braking (RB) mode that collects braking and inertial energy through braking or inertia of the vehicle during traveling, and charges the battery through power generation of the motor. The related art classifies a running environment according to running information of a vehicle to change running control of the vehicle. The related art may collect vehicle data having driver characteristics to predict a current driving environment and adjust vehicle performance based on the predicted or detected driving environment.

The above information disclosed in this section is only for enhancement of understanding of the background of the invention and therefore it may contain information that does not form the prior art that is already known in this country to a person of ordinary skill in the art.

Disclosure of Invention

The present invention provides a method for controlling the travel of a hybrid vehicle, which can prevent an unnecessary transition from an Electric Vehicle (EV) mode to a Hybrid Electric Vehicle (HEV) mode (e.g., a start state of an engine) using a control logic for predicting a vehicle acceleration state, thereby reducing unnecessary energy consumption on an actual road.

An exemplary embodiment of the present invention provides a method for controlling travel of a hybrid vehicle, which may include: determining, by a controller, whether acceleration of the hybrid vehicle is predicted; and increasing, by the controller, a transition reference value for transitioning the travel mode of the hybrid vehicle from an Electric Vehicle (EV) mode to a Hybrid Electric Vehicle (HEV) mode when acceleration of the hybrid vehicle is predicted.

The controller may be configured to determine whether acceleration of the hybrid vehicle is predicted based on a rate of change in speed of the vehicle and a rate of change in an accelerator pedal position sensor (APS) value, which are generated during a predetermined travel time, after the hybrid vehicle is stopped or decelerated to a predetermined speed. The method may further comprise: it is determined by the controller whether the gradient of the road on which the vehicle is traveling is less than or equal to a threshold value. When the grade is less than or equal to the threshold, the controller may be configured to predict vehicle acceleration.

Further, the method may comprise: the type of road on which the vehicle is traveling is determined by the controller based on the average speed of the vehicle. When the road type is determined to be a street in a downtown, the controller may be configured to predict vehicle acceleration. The method may further comprise: the type of road on which the vehicle is traveling is determined by the controller based on the average speed of the vehicle. When it is determined that the road type is an expressway, the controller may be configured to predict vehicle acceleration.

Further, the controller may be configured to determine whether acceleration of the hybrid vehicle is predicted based on traffic signal information or accurate map information received by the vehicle. The method may further comprise: determining, by the controller, a type of road on which the vehicle is traveling based on the accurate map information. When the road type is determined to be a street in a downtown, the controller may be configured to predict vehicle acceleration.

The method for controlling the travel of the hybrid vehicle may further include: determining, by the controller, a type of road on which the vehicle is traveling based on the accurate map information. When it is determined that the road type is an expressway, the controller may be configured to predict vehicle acceleration. After the conversion reference value is increased, the vehicle may be operated by the controller to travel in the EV mode. The method of controlling the travel of the hybrid vehicle according to the exemplary embodiment of the present invention may improve the fuel efficiency of the vehicle using the travel information (or the travel mode) of the vehicle.

Exemplary embodiments of the present invention may improve fuel efficiency by reducing unnecessary starting states of an engine in various acceleration situations occurring while a vehicle is running. Further, the exemplary embodiments of the present invention may reduce fuel consumption due to an acceleration mode of the vehicle having a substantial influence on the fuel consumption. Therefore, fuel consumption caused by a driver who actively starts the vehicle can be reduced, and fuel efficiency deviation (fuel efficiency deviation) according to the driver can be reduced.

Drawings

Brief description of the drawingsthe accompanying drawings, which are included to provide a more complete understanding of the invention as used in the detailed description of the invention, will be provided.

FIG. 1 is a graph illustrating normal acceleration of a vehicle;

fig. 2 is a graph illustrating reference values for a transition from an Electric Vehicle (EV) mode to a Hybrid Electric Vehicle (HEV) mode shown in fig. 1;

FIG. 3 is a graph illustrating a sudden acceleration event for fuel inefficient use in a vehicle;

fig. 4 is a graph illustrating a transition reference value for a transition from the EV mode to the HEV mode shown in fig. 3 according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention;

fig. 5 is a flowchart illustrating a method for controlling travel of a hybrid vehicle according to an exemplary embodiment of the invention;

fig. 6 is a flowchart illustrating a method for controlling travel of a hybrid vehicle according to another embodiment of the invention; and

fig. 7 is a block diagram showing a hybrid vehicle to which a method of controlling travel of the hybrid vehicle according to an exemplary embodiment of the invention is applied.

Reference numerals:

305: controller

310: engine

330: electric motor

340: battery with a battery cell

Detailed Description

It should be understood that the term "vehicle" or "vehicular" or other similar terms as used herein include motor vehicles in general, such as passenger vehicles including Sport Utility Vehicles (SUVs), buses, trucks, various commercial vehicles, watercraft including a variety of boats and ships, aircraft, and the like, and hybrid vehicles, electric vehicles, plug-in hybrid electric vehicles, hydrogen-powered vehicles, and other alternative fuel vehicles (e.g., fuels derived from resources other than petroleum). As described herein, a hybrid vehicle is a vehicle having two or more power sources simultaneously, e.g., a vehicle that is both gasoline powered and electrically powered.

While the exemplary embodiments are described as using multiple units to perform the exemplary flows, it should be understood that the exemplary flows may also be performed by one or more modules. Further, it should be understood that the term "controller/control unit" may refer to a hardware device that includes a memory and a processor. The memory is configured to store modules and the processor is particularly configured to execute the modules to perform one or more processes described further below.

Furthermore, the control logic of the present invention may be embodied as a non-transitory computer readable medium on a computer readable medium comprising executable program instructions executed by a processor, controller/control unit, or the like. Examples of computer readable media include, but are not limited to, ROM, RAM, Compact Disc (CD) -ROM, magnetic tape, floppy disk, flash drive, smart card, and optical data storage device. The computer readable recording medium CAN also be distributed over network coupled computer systems so that the computer readable medium is stored and executed in a distributed fashion, such as through a telematics server or Controller Area Network (CAN).

The terminology used herein is for the purpose of describing particular embodiments only and is not intended to be limiting of the invention. As used herein, the singular forms "a", "an" and "the" are intended to include the plural forms as well, unless the context clearly indicates otherwise. It will be further understood that the terms "comprises" and/or "comprising," when used in this specification, specify the presence of stated features, integers, steps, operations, elements, and/or components, but do not preclude the presence or addition of one or more other features, integers, steps, operations, elements, components, and/or groups thereof. As used herein, the term "and/or" includes any and all combinations of one or more of the associated listed items.

Unless specifically stated or otherwise apparent from the context, as used herein, the word "about" is understood to be within the normal tolerance of the art, e.g., within 2 standard deviations of the mean. "about" can be understood to be within 10%, 9%, 8%, 7%, 6%, 5%, 4%, 3%, 2%, 1%, 0.5%, 0.1%, 0.05%, or 0.01% of the stated value. All numerical values provided herein are modified by the word "about," unless otherwise clear from the context.

For a fuller understanding of the invention and the objects attained by practice of the invention, reference should be made to the accompanying drawings and descriptive matter in which there is illustrated exemplary embodiments of the invention.

Hereinafter, the present invention will be described in detail by describing exemplary embodiments thereof with reference to the accompanying drawings. In describing the present invention, well-known configurations or functions may not be described in detail since they may unnecessarily obscure the gist of the present invention. Like reference numerals will be used to refer to like parts throughout the drawings.

The terminology used in the description is for the purpose of describing particular exemplary embodiments only and is not intended to be limiting of the invention. Throughout this specification and the claims which follow, when an element is referred to as being "connected" to another element, it can be "directly connected" to the other element or "electrically or mechanically connected" to the other element through a third element.

Unless otherwise defined, it should be understood that terms including technical and scientific terms used in the present specification have the same meaning as terms commonly understood by one of ordinary skill in the art. It must be understood that the terms of dictionary definition have the same meaning as in the context of the prior art, and should not be defined in an idealized or overly formal sense unless the context clearly dictates otherwise.

In order for a vehicle to perform energy-efficient travel on a road (or an actual road), it is necessary to manage energy consumption of a repeated acceleration travel pattern of the vehicle. Since the method of classifying general travel patterns according to the related art based on the average value of the vehicle speed or the average value of the Accelerator Position Sensor (APS) value uses all travel information, it may be difficult to classify (or extract) some distinctive travel characteristics. In other words, since the related art considers all the travel information at the same time, it may be difficult to extract the travel characteristics therefrom. Since the control according to this method is based on a constant cycle, it is difficult to respond to a transient driving event. Therefore, it is necessary to appropriately divide an acceleration running mode of a vehicle, which causes a large amount of instantaneous fuel consumption, and perform unnecessary engine operation, which adjusts a transition reference value for transitioning from an Electric Vehicle (EV) mode to a Hybrid Electric Vehicle (HEV) mode when vehicle acceleration is predicted or detected (e.g., detected by an acceleration sensor), to minimize energy consumption.

For the control based on the determination of the running mode according to the related art, since the ordinary running tendency is extracted using the running information such as the vehicle speed, the distinctive running information may disappear. For example, the sudden deceleration of the vehicle after the sudden acceleration is the distinctive running information, but the distinctive running information may be removed in the process of calculating the average value for extracting the ordinary running tendency. Therefore, a method for improving the vehicle running efficiency using the distinctive running information is required.

Acceleration of a vehicle can be classified into two types as follows. One classification may be that the vehicle accelerates from a stop of the vehicle and one that the vehicle accelerates while traveling, after the vehicle has slowed down for entering a junction (exchange), or through a toll booth. The above-described classification may be classified again into an acceleration pattern (or acceleration driving pattern) of streets of the city center and an acceleration pattern of expressways.

Fig. 1 is a graph showing a normal acceleration condition of a vehicle. Fig. 2 is a graph illustrating reference values for a transition from the EV mode to the HEV mode shown in fig. 1. Referring to fig. 1 and 2, under normal acceleration of the vehicle, when the state of charge (SOC) of the battery is greater than a reference value, the hybrid vehicle may travel in an EV mode, which is an operation mode less than a reference value 10. The reference value 10 may be predetermined by an experiment, but is not limited thereto.

FIG. 3 is a graph illustrating a sudden acceleration event for fuel inefficient use in a vehicle. Fig. 4 is a graph illustrating a transition reference value for a transition from the EV mode to the HEV mode shown in fig. 3 according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention. Fig. 5 is a flowchart illustrating a method for controlling travel of a hybrid vehicle according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention. Fig. 7 is a block diagram showing a hybrid vehicle to which a control for controlling the running of the hybrid vehicle according to an exemplary embodiment of the invention is applied. The methods to be described herein may be performed by a controller having a processor and a memory.

Referring to fig. 3, 4, 5, and 7, in the determining step 100, the controller 305 may be configured to determine a type of road on which the hybrid vehicle 300 is traveling (e.g., is traveling) based on an average speed of the hybrid vehicle. In particular, the controller 305 may be configured to determine the type of road on which the hybrid vehicle 300 is traveling based on a mapping table including road types according to the average speed of the hybrid vehicle. For example, the road type may be a street, a trunk (expressway) or a highway. The map may include road types corresponding to an average speed (or an average of vehicle speeds), an average of accelerator pedal position sensor (APS) values, or an average of brake pedal position sensor (BPS) values (or a combination of an average of vehicle speeds, an average of APS values, and an average of BPS values). The mapping table may be generated experimentally.

For example, the controller 305 may be one or more microprocessors operated by a program or hardware including a microprocessor. The program may include a series of commands for executing the method for controlling travel of the hybrid vehicle according to the example embodiment of the invention. The hybrid vehicle 300 may include a controller 305, an engine 310, a Hybrid Starter Generator (HSG)320, an engine clutch 325, a motor (or drive motor) 330 that may be a motor, a battery 340, a transmission 350, and wheels (or drive wheels) 390. The controller 305 may be configured to operate other components of the vehicle 300.

The hybrid vehicle 300, which is a hybrid electric vehicle, may use an engine 310 and a motor 330 as power sources, and may include an engine clutch 325 disposed between the engine 310 and the motor 330, and thus, when the engine clutch 325 is disengaged, the hybrid vehicle 300 may be operated in an Electric Vehicle (EV) mode in which the hybrid vehicle 300 travels by the motor 330, and when the engine clutch 325 is closed, the hybrid vehicle 300 may be operated in a Hybrid Electric Vehicle (HEV) mode in which the hybrid vehicle 300 is able to travel by both the motor 330 and the engine 310.

The hybrid vehicle 300 may include a transmission-mounted electric equipment (TMED) powertrain in which an electric motor 330 is connected with a transmission 350. The hybrid vehicle 300 may be driven in various traveling modes, such as an EV mode, which is an electric vehicle mode using power of a motor, and an HEV mode, which uses the rotational force of the engine as main power and uses the rotational force of the motor as auxiliary power, based on whether an engine clutch 325 disposed between the engine 310 and the motor 330 is engaged (or connected). In particular, in the hybrid vehicle 300 including a structure in which the motor 330 may be directly connected with the transmission 350, the Revolutions Per Minute (RPM) of the engine may be increased by the operation of the HSG 320, power transmission and power cut-off between the engine and the motor may be performed by engagement and release of the clutch 325, driving force may be transmitted (or transferred) to the wheels 390 through a power transmission system that may include the transmission 350, and when transmission of engine torque is requested, torque of the engine may be transmitted to the motor through engagement of the clutch 325.

The controller 305 may include a Hybrid Control Unit (HCU), a Motor Control Unit (MCU), an Engine Control Unit (ECU), and a Transmission Control Unit (TCU). The HCU may be configured to start the engine 310 by operating the HSG 320 when the engine is stopped. The HCU may be a highest controller or a higher controller, and may be configured to operate a controller (e.g., MCU) connected via a network such as a Controller Area Network (CAN) as a vehicle network, and may be configured to perform the overall operation of the hybrid vehicle 300.

The MCU may be configured to operate the HSG 320 and the motor 330. The MCU may be configured to adjust the output torque of the driving motor 330 via the network based on the control signal output from the HCU, and thus may be configured to operate the motor at maximum efficiency. The MCU may include an inverter configured as a plurality of power switching elements. The power switching elements included in the inverter may include Insulated Gate Bipolar Transistors (IGBTs), Field Effect Transistors (FETs), metal oxide semiconductor FETs (mosfets), transistors, or relays. The inverter may be configured to convert a Direct Current (DC) voltage provided from the battery 340 into a three-phase Alternating Current (AC) voltage to drive the driving motor 330. The MCU may be disposed between the battery 340 and the motor 330.

The ECU may be configured to adjust the torque of the engine 310. In particular, the ECU may be configured to adjust an operating point (or a drive point) of the engine 310 via a network based on a control signal output from the HCU, and may be configured to operate the engine to output an optimal torque. The TCU may be configured to operate the transmission 350. The engine 310 may include a diesel engine, a gasoline engine, a Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG) engine, or a Liquefied Petroleum Gas (LPG) engine, and may output torque at an operating point based on a control signal output from the ECU. In the HEV mode, the torque may be combined with the driving force of the driving motor 330. The engine 310 may be connected with the motor 330 via an engine clutch 325 to generate power that is transmitted to the transmission 350.

The HSG 320 may operate as a motor to start the engine 310 based on a control signal output from the MCU, and may operate as a generator to provide the generated power to the battery 340 via an inverter while keeping the engine 310 started. The HSG 320 may be connected with the engine 310 via a belt. The HSG 320 as a motor that drives the engine may be directly connected to the engine. The engine clutch 325 may be disposed (or mounted) between the engine 310 and the driving motor 330, and may be operated to convert power transmission between the engine 310 and the motor 330. The engine clutch 325 may connect or interrupt power between the engine and the motor based on the transition of the HEV mode and the EV mode. Operation of the engine clutch 325 may be regulated by the controller 305.

The motor 330 may be operated by the three-phase AC voltage output from the MCU to generate torque. The motor 330 may operate as a generator during coasting or regenerative braking to provide voltage (or regenerative energy) to the battery 340. The battery 340 may include a plurality of unit cells. High voltage for providing a driving voltage (e.g., about 350-450V DC) to the motor 330 or the HSG 320 may be stored in the battery 340, wherein the motor 330 provides driving power to the wheels 390.

The transmission 350 may include a multi-speed transmission such as an automatic transmission or a Dual Clutch Transmission (DCT) or a Continuously Variable Transmission (CVT), and may shift to a desired gear using hydraulic pressure based on control of a TCU that operates an engaging element and a disengaging element. The transmission 350 may be configured to transmit the driving force of the engine 310 and/or the motor 330 to the wheels 390, and may interrupt power transmission between the motor 330 (or the engine 310) and the wheels 390.

According to the determination step 105, the controller 305 may be configured to determine whether the determined road type is a downtown street (e.g., a more congested area). In particular, the street type may be detected based on a mapping table (e.g., memory) that includes a driving environment based on an average speed of the vehicle. For example, when the average vehicle speed is less than a predetermined speed, the controller may be configured to determine that the vehicle is traveling in a highly congested area, i.e., downtown streets. When the determined road type is a street, the method for controlling the driving of the hybrid vehicle may continue to the determination step 110. When the determined type of road is not a street (e.g., it is determined that the average speed is greater than the predetermined speed), the process may proceed to determination step 135.

According to the determination step 110, the controller 305 may be configured to detect whether the hybrid vehicle 300 is stopped or decelerated to a specific speed using a signal output from a speed sensor of the hybrid vehicle. For example, determining whether the hybrid vehicle 300 is stopped or decelerating to a particular speed may be performed by calculating a moving average in real time by continuously collecting vehicle speed data over a predetermined time interval. According to determination step 115, when the hybrid vehicle 300 stops or decelerates to a particular speed, the controller 305 may be configured to determine whether the gradient of the road on which the hybrid vehicle is traveling is less than or equal to a threshold. In particular, to prevent a decrease in the traveling responsiveness, the exemplary embodiment of the present invention may determine the gradient of the road. Therefore, when an uphill road having a gradient greater than the threshold value is detected, the method for traveling of the hybrid vehicle according to the example embodiment may not be performed in the street.

According to the calculating step 120, when the gradient of the road on which the hybrid vehicle 300 is traveling is less than or equal to the threshold value, the controller 305 may be configured to calculate a rate of change of the vehicle speed and a rate of change of an accelerator pedal position sensor (APS) value for a specific travel time of the hybrid vehicle. According to determination step 125, controller 305 may be configured to determine whether acceleration of the hybrid vehicle shown in fig. 3 is predicted based on the rate of change of the vehicle speed and the rate of change of the APS value. For example, when the rate of change of the vehicle speed is greater than a reference value and the rate of change of the APS value is greater than a reference value, controller 305 may be configured to determine that acceleration of the hybrid vehicle is predicted.

As shown in fig. 4, according to the adjusting step 130, when acceleration of the hybrid vehicle 300 is predicted and a state of charge (SOC) of the battery 340 is equal to or greater than a threshold value for performing the predicted acceleration, the controller 305 may be configured to increase a transition reference value for transitioning the travel mode of the hybrid vehicle from the EV mode to the HEV mode. Reference numeral 15 in fig. 4 may denote a conversion reference value. The hybrid vehicle 300 may enter the HEV mode when the hybrid vehicle is operated in a region equal to or greater than the conversion reference value, and the hybrid vehicle 300 may enter the EV mode when the hybrid vehicle 300 is operated in a region less than the conversion reference value.

Further, the controller 305 may be configured to operate the hybrid vehicle 300 in the EV mode after increasing (or adjusting) the conversion reference value. For example, the conversion reference value may be a speed of the vehicle, a torque required by a driver of the vehicle, or a power required by the driver. According to the determination step 135, the controller 305 may be configured to determine whether the determined type of road is an expressway, a highway, an interstate, etc. In particular, the expressway may be detected or confirmed based on a map including a driving environment according to an average speed of the vehicle.

When the determined road type is detected as an expressway, the process may proceed to the determination step 140. When the determined road type is not detected as a highway, the process may proceed to determination step 105. According to the determination step 140, the controller 305 may be configured to determine whether the hybrid vehicle 300 is stopped or decelerated to a specific speed using a signal output from the speed sensor. For example, a moving average calculated in real time may be calculated by continuously collecting vehicle speed data for a predetermined time interval to determine whether the hybrid vehicle 300 is stopped or decelerated to a specific speed.

According to the determination step 145, when the hybrid vehicle 300 stops or decelerates to a particular speed, the controller 305 may be configured to determine whether the gradient of the road on which the hybrid vehicle is traveling is less than or equal to a threshold. In particular, to prevent a decrease in driving responsiveness, exemplary embodiments of the present invention may determine a gradient of a road. Therefore, the method for controlling the travel of the hybrid vehicle according to the exemplary embodiment may not be performed in a highway when an uphill slope having a gradient greater than a threshold value is detected.

According to the calculating step 150, when the gradient of the road on which the hybrid vehicle 300 travels is less than or equal to the threshold value, the controller 305 may be configured to calculate a rate of change of the vehicle speed and a rate of change of an accelerator pedal position sensor (APS) value within a specific travel time of the hybrid vehicle. According to determination step 155, controller 305 may be configured to determine whether acceleration of the hybrid vehicle shown in fig. 3 is predicted based on the rate of change of the vehicle speed and the rate of change of the APS value. For example, when the rate of change of the vehicle speed is greater than a reference value and the rate of change of the APS value is greater than a reference value, controller 305 may be configured to determine that acceleration of the hybrid vehicle is predicted.

As shown in fig. 4, according to the adjusting step 160, when acceleration of the hybrid vehicle 300 is predicted and a state of charge (SOC) of the battery 340 is equal to or greater than a threshold value for performing the predicted acceleration, the controller 305 may be configured to increase a transition reference value for transitioning the travel mode of the hybrid vehicle from the EV mode to the HEV mode. After the shift reference value is increased, the controller 305 may be configured to operate the hybrid vehicle 300 in the EV mode.

As described above, the exemplary embodiment of the present invention may divide the acceleration mode of the vehicle into the on-street driving and the highway driving, thereby controlling the driving of the hybrid vehicle which is suddenly started or accelerated. As shown in fig. 4, the transition reference value, which is changed based on the SOC of the battery 340, may be increased for a predetermined time interval after the acceleration pattern is divided.

Fig. 6 is a flowchart illustrating a method for controlling travel of a hybrid vehicle according to another exemplary embodiment of the present invention. Referring to fig. 3, 4, 6, and 7, in the determination step 200, the controller 305 may be configured to determine the type of road on which the hybrid vehicle 300 is traveling based on the accurate map information (or the accurate road map information). The precise map may represent a three-dimensional (3D) map of high-precision information on the road and geographic features near the road.

According to the determination step 205, the controller 305 may be configured to determine whether the determined road type is a street of a downtown area. In particular, streets may be confirmed or detected based on accurate map information. When the determined road type is a street, the method for controlling the travel of the hybrid vehicle may proceed to the determination step 210. When the determined road type is not a street (e.g., based on the detected vehicle speed), the process may proceed to determination step 220.

According to the determination step 210, the controller 305 may be configured to determine whether the acceleration of the hybrid vehicle shown in fig. 3 is predicted based on traffic signal information or accurate map information received by the hybrid vehicle 300. Traffic signal information or accurate map information may be transmitted from a server external to the vehicle. For example, the traffic signal information may include traffic signal change information, such as information representing a transition from a red traffic light to a green traffic light, and the accurate map information may include position information of a speed bump. The acceleration state of the hybrid vehicle may include an acceleration state of the vehicle generated after the vehicle stops before the intersection, or an acceleration state of the vehicle generated after the vehicle passes through a deceleration strip.

As shown in fig. 4, according to the adjusting step 215, when acceleration of the hybrid vehicle 300 is predicted and the SOC of the battery 340 is equal to or greater than a threshold value for performing the predicted acceleration, the controller 305 may be configured to increase a transition reference value for transitioning the travel mode of the hybrid vehicle from the EV mode to the HEV mode. The controller 305 may be configured to operate the hybrid vehicle 300 in the EV mode after increasing (or adjusting) the conversion reference value. According to the determination step 220, the controller 305 may be configured to determine whether the determined road type is an expressway. In particular, a highway may be detected based on accurate map information. When the determined road type is an expressway, the process may proceed to determination step 225. When the determined road type is not an expressway, the process may proceed to the determination step 205.

According to determination step 225, the controller 305 may be configured to determine whether a hybrid vehicle acceleration as shown in FIG. 3 is predicted based on the precise map information received at the hybrid vehicle 300. For example, the precise map information may include toll booth location information or Intersection (IC) location information. The hybrid vehicle acceleration state may include an acceleration state of the vehicle generated after the vehicle passes through the junction, or an acceleration state of the vehicle generated after the vehicle passes through a deceleration strip.

As shown in fig. 4, according to the adjusting step 230, when acceleration of the hybrid vehicle 300 is predicted and the SOC of the battery 340 is equal to or greater than a threshold value for performing the predicted acceleration, the controller 305 may be configured to increase a transition reference value for transitioning the travel mode of the hybrid vehicle from the EV mode to the HEV mode. After increasing the conversion reference value, the controller 305 may be configured to operate the hybrid vehicle 300 in the EV mode.

As described above, the exemplary embodiments have been disclosed in the drawings and the specification. Specific terms have been used herein, but are used only for the purpose of describing the present invention, and are not intended to define meanings or limit the scope of the present invention disclosed in the appended claims. Thus, it will be appreciated by those skilled in the art that various modifications and equivalent exemplary embodiments are possible in light of the present disclosure. Therefore, the actual technical scope of the present invention must be determined by the spirit of the appended claims.

Claims

1. A method for controlling travel of a hybrid vehicle, the method comprising the steps of:

determining, by a controller, whether acceleration of the hybrid vehicle is predicted; and

increasing, by the controller, a transition reference value that transitions a travel mode of the hybrid vehicle from an Electric Vehicle (EV) mode to a Hybrid Electric Vehicle (HEV) mode when acceleration of the hybrid vehicle is predicted,

wherein the controller is configured to determine whether acceleration of the hybrid vehicle is predicted based on a rate of change in a speed of the vehicle and a rate of change in an accelerator pedal position sensor APS value that occur within a predetermined travel time of the vehicle after the hybrid vehicle stops or decelerates to a predetermined speed.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising the steps of:

determining, by the controller, whether a gradient of a road on which the vehicle is traveling is less than or equal to a threshold value,

wherein when the gradient is less than or equal to the threshold, the controller is configured to predict vehicle acceleration.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising the steps of:

determining, by the controller, a type of road on which the vehicle is traveling based on the average speed of the vehicle,

wherein, when it is determined that the road type is a street in a downtown area, the controller is configured to predict vehicle acceleration.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

wherein when it is determined that the road type is an expressway, the controller is configured to predict vehicle acceleration.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the controller is configured to determine whether the hybrid vehicle is predicted to accelerate based on traffic signal information or accurate map information received by the vehicle.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising the steps of:

determining, by the controller, a type of road on which the vehicle is traveling based on the precise map information,

wherein, when it is determined that the road type is a street of a downtown area, the controller is configured to predict vehicle acceleration.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising the steps of:

wherein, when it is determined that the road type is an expressway, the controller is configured to predict vehicle acceleration.

8. The method of claim 1, further comprising the steps of:

operating the vehicle in the EV mode by the controller after the transition reference value is increased.

9. A system for controlling travel of a hybrid vehicle, the system comprising:

a memory configured to store program instructions; and

a processor configured to execute the program instructions, the program instructions when executed configured to:

determining whether acceleration of the hybrid vehicle is predicted; and

increasing a conversion reference value for converting a travel mode of the hybrid vehicle from an electric vehicle EV mode to a hybrid electric vehicle HEV mode when acceleration of the hybrid vehicle is predicted,

wherein the program instructions, when executed, are further configured to determine whether acceleration of the hybrid vehicle is predicted based on a rate of change of a speed of the vehicle and a rate of change of an accelerator pedal position sensor APS value that occur within a predetermined travel time of the vehicle after the hybrid vehicle stops or decelerates to a predetermined speed.

10. The system of claim 9, wherein the program instructions, when executed, are further configured to:

determining whether a gradient of a road on which the vehicle is traveling is less than or equal to a threshold; and is

Wherein vehicle acceleration is predicted when the gradient is less than or equal to the threshold.

11. The system of claim 9, wherein the program instructions, when executed, are further configured to:

determining a type of road on which the vehicle is traveling based on the average speed of the vehicle; and is

When it is determined that the road type is a street in a downtown area, vehicle acceleration is predicted.

12. The system of claim 9, wherein the program instructions, when executed, are further configured to:

When it is determined that the road type is an expressway, vehicle acceleration is predicted.

13. The system of claim 9, wherein the program instructions, when executed, are further configured to:

determining whether the hybrid vehicle is predicted to accelerate based on traffic signal information or accurate map information received by the vehicle.

14. The system of claim 9, wherein the program instructions, when executed, are further configured to:

determining a type of a road on which the vehicle is traveling based on the accurate map information; and is

When it is determined that the road type is a street of a downtown area, vehicle acceleration is predicted.

15. The system of claim 9, wherein the program instructions, when executed, are further configured to:

16. The system of claim 9, wherein the program instructions, when executed, are further configured to:

operating the vehicle in the EV mode after the transition reference value is increased.